Stages of Running
missfitmt
Posts: 67 Member
These feelings might be hit at different distances with other people, but can anybody else relate?
I made a great analogy of running to death today as I was dying on my run lol. The normal stages of death are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.
Maybe the feelings I get from running aren't exactly like that, but I'm definitely in denial in the beginning of my run when my lungs are getting used to the the breathing. The negative thoughts start creeping in and I'm telling myself that I can't do it; that I might as well just turn around and go home. I sometimes feel this huge tension in my chest that needs to get let out with a deep breath. Afterwards, I tell myself to keep going because the run will be over soon enough.
The anger comes primarily from frustration. I reach a point where I ask myself why I'm running since I hate it so much. But I keep telling myself to keep going.
Bargaining comes right just a little bit before mile 2 for me. I feel my steps getting smaller and heavier, and my breathing is pretty rapid. Just as I'm about to give in to my negative thoughts, I hear the chimer go off saying that I've ran 2 miles. I tell myself to keep going, since my run is almost over and I've already ran 2 miles so far.
There isn't a stage of depression, so I just jump straight forward to the acceptance stage, where I force myself to keep going b/c I've accepted the fact that I committed myself to this run by now, and I know how crappy I'm going to feel once I give up and start walking.
Then the bell goes off once I've reached my desired distance! I put a little hop into my last step as a sign of accomplishment, like a "whoopee!". The endorphins kick in and I think about how proud I am for running as much as I just did.
Moral of the story: KEEP GOING. :drinker:
I made a great analogy of running to death today as I was dying on my run lol. The normal stages of death are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.
Maybe the feelings I get from running aren't exactly like that, but I'm definitely in denial in the beginning of my run when my lungs are getting used to the the breathing. The negative thoughts start creeping in and I'm telling myself that I can't do it; that I might as well just turn around and go home. I sometimes feel this huge tension in my chest that needs to get let out with a deep breath. Afterwards, I tell myself to keep going because the run will be over soon enough.
The anger comes primarily from frustration. I reach a point where I ask myself why I'm running since I hate it so much. But I keep telling myself to keep going.
Bargaining comes right just a little bit before mile 2 for me. I feel my steps getting smaller and heavier, and my breathing is pretty rapid. Just as I'm about to give in to my negative thoughts, I hear the chimer go off saying that I've ran 2 miles. I tell myself to keep going, since my run is almost over and I've already ran 2 miles so far.
There isn't a stage of depression, so I just jump straight forward to the acceptance stage, where I force myself to keep going b/c I've accepted the fact that I committed myself to this run by now, and I know how crappy I'm going to feel once I give up and start walking.
Then the bell goes off once I've reached my desired distance! I put a little hop into my last step as a sign of accomplishment, like a "whoopee!". The endorphins kick in and I think about how proud I am for running as much as I just did.
Moral of the story: KEEP GOING. :drinker:
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Replies
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I pretty much just have three stages.
The "OMG this sucks, why did I take myself into this?" stage. This happened for a brief moment yesterday during my 10 mile run. But this is only a negative mantra stage and totally combatable.
Then there is the, "Let's go get this done even though I don't want to do this". Do not confuse this stage with first. This stage happens before the run even begins. This doesn't happen all the time.
Finally, there is the runner's high stage. This happened in the last half of my run yesterday and the entire 10 mile pain train was worth that 20 minutes of bliss.0 -
I'm glad you enjoy running after you stopped. Soon you may actually start enjoying running while it is still happening. It sounds crazy, I know. But it exists in the world.
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I'm glad you enjoy running after you stopped. Soon you may actually start enjoying running while it is still happening. It sounds crazy, I know. But it exists in the world.
Crazy talk.
(This one's a few bikes short of a full pelaton, I tell ya.)0
